HAMPTON, VA :: Nobody has been hotter at Langley Speedway than Hampton’s Nick Smith. Smith has five wins on the season at Langley Speedway, all of which coming in the summer months, entering Saturday night’s Hampton Heat 200. Now, Smith is hoping to pick up his second Hampton Heat 200 victory.
Smith has been running Late Models for several years at Langley Speedway. After missing four races earlier this season, Smith’s just on a mission to go fast, have fun and win races.
“It’s been really good all year for us,” Smith said in an interview with RACE22.com. “The past month’s been really really good. We’re hoping to stay the way we have been and hopefully we can run well in the Hampton Heat this weekend. I have all the confidence in the world in that just need some good luck on my side.”
Smith has won five races and had one of his best seasons ever but it hasn’t been easy. The competition at Langley Speedway boasts a tough field of cars where half the field could win any given Saturday night.
“It hasn’t been easy,” Smith remarked. “There’s been a bunch of good cars out there. We’ll keep doing the same thing we’ve been doing, have fun, do the best we can do and I think we’ve got as good a chance as anybody to win it.”
Smith elaborated on his championship woes, reiterating that he was out there to have fun.
“We’re not running for a championship. We’re running race by race. If we were running for the championship, we’d run better in points. We’re up to third in the points. The championship’s out of my hands because of missing three or four races. We’re going for wins and the Hampton Heat would be a good one to win.”
Over the years, Smith had developed a rivalry with three-time track champion CE Falk. Smith said things have simmered between the two in recent years as both drivers become older and more mature.
“I think me and CE have grown up in the past few years. The battle’s still on between us. We don’t cut each other any slack, that’s for sure. I don’t think one’s been given to me this year. If anything, we’ve given up a few ourselves. We’ve lost the most so far.”
Entering the race with five wins, all coming in the last two months, Smith feels confident entering the season’s biggest race.
“Confidence is always good. I’ve got a lot of that normally anyways. I just really proud to be driving the car I’m driving. This is the most fun I’ve ever had and it shows every week. I’ve got good guys behind me having fun and good sponsors.”
Smith has an aggressive driving style that hasn’t always made him many friends on the racetrack but he vows to continue racing hard, maintaining that he’s there to win races – though he says he won’t race dirty. While he does plan to race aggressively when it counts, he knows the Hampton Heat 200 isn’t the same as 63, 75 and 125 lap races that the track has run most of the season.
“I don’t look at it like I don’t have friends on the racetrack but I’m there to win a race and not to make friends. I don’t want to do anybody dirty or anything like that but that’s the attitude you’ve got to have to win. I just want to be consistent and be there at the end and have a good race, bring it home in one piece and have a crashed racecar. You have to be more patient since it’s a longer race and they’re not giving us tires at halfway.”
Smith also spoke about how he got in to racing.
“When I was 12 is when I started driving. I was always interested watching on TV with my dad. When I was 12, I had an opportunity. I’ve always liked speed and driving things that are out of control. I grew up riding dirt bikes and stuff. When I got my first chance to race, it took off for me. We won our first race. I just love going fast and being behind the wheel.”
Smith is a former winner of the Hampton Heat 200, winning the inaugural running of the race in 2008. He is supported by Bluewater Yacht Sales Town Bank, Hampton Chevrolet, Surf Rider Restaurant and Huffman & Huffman.
RACE22.com will have Live Coverage of the Hampton Heat 200 on Saturday, July 27th.
